Method of making metallic bats



Oct. 26, 1943. w Yc JR 2,332,726

METHOD OF MAKING METALLIC BATS Original Filed July 5, 1940 INVENT R:

Will/AM J- I0 cg Ir.

Patented Oct. 26, 1943 2,332,726 METHOD OF MAKING METALLIC BATS WilliamJ. Joyce, Jr., Southbridge, Mass., assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication July 5, 1940, Serial No'. 344,129. Divided and thisapplication July '5, 1941, Serial No. 401,267

1 Claim.

This application is a division of Serial No. 344,129, filed July 5,1940.

This invention relates to a method of making resilient bats frommetallic wool.

It is an object of the invention to provide metallic wool bats that havethe crossed over strands thereof bonded together at their adjacentportions so that the bat does not pack upon compression but remains as aresilient cushion.

In carrying out the above object it is an object, in some cases, to bondadjacent strands of wool together with a low melting point metal.

A still further object is to provide a material which may be used as asubstitute for horsehair, sponge rubber and other resilient materialheretofore used as fillings for seat cushions, mattresses, etc.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description and drawing wherein a preferredembodiment of the present invention are clearly set forth.

In the drawing:

The drawing represents an enlarged photographic view or the materialwherein each of the strands of wool is coated with a soft metal.

tion, may be heated to an elevatedtemperature and then cooled therebycausing the crossing portions of wire thattouch one another to bondtogether and to be held together by means of the low melting point metal24. Similarly, it is possible to make bats 22 of metallic wool 20 andthen immerse said bats intoa vat of molten low melting point soldermaterial, thereafter removlng excess low melting point metal byasuitable method, such as centrifuging under elevated temperatureconditions or by the use of hightemperature high pressure air blowntherethrough, whereupon when cool, the strands of wool are bondedtogether by the low melting point metal 24.

I also prefer to use steel wool since this type of wool is-inexpensiveand easy to handle as well as having a high modulus of elasticity. Itshould be understood, however, that when steel wool is referred tohereinafter that, it is within the scopeof my invention to substituteany other suitable metallic wool thatis available.

By microscopic examination of a the bat was placed under compression,that flex- In the manufacture of bats for filling seat cushions andother resilient, compressible bodies, horsehair and sponge rubber havebeen the usual materials used. These materials provided a resilientfilling for the cushion which did not pack down readily and therebymaintained the shape of the cushion over along period of time. Horsehairand sponge rubber are, however, expensive materials to be used inproduction manufacture. The present invention is directed to asubstitute for these materials which has all of the inherent goodqualities thereof together with the advantage of being more fireresisting and much less expensive to produce in production quantities.

I have found that metallic wool -20, such as steel wool, iron wool,nickel wool, brass wool, or any other wools made from metallic strands,whether shredded or whether made from drawn wire stock, to beparticularly adapted as a substitute for horsehair and the like sincemetallic wool has a high modulus of elasticity and does not pack readilywhen adjacent strands thereof are bonded at their contacting portions. Ihave- ,may be provided which, after the wool 20 is shaped into the bat.22 of the desired configura- In the manufacture of this materiaLitis.apparent that in some instances the steel wool may be shaped to anyconfiguration desired preparatory to the treatment with the bondingagent, while in some instances it is more facile to form the steel woolin long striplike bats andtreat the bat with the bonding agent,thereafter cutting.

the bat to shorter lengths and putting them in place in suitableconfiningenvelopes.

It is also manifest that this method may also be carried outcontinuously wherein a longlength of wool may be utilized. In otherwords,

the type of procedure is adaptedto a continuous process as well as anintermittent one and either processls within the scope of my invention.

While the embodiments of the present inventionas herein disclosed.constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scopeof the claim which follows.What is claimed is as follows: The method of producing a low-costself-sustaining fibrous metal bat of uniform light weight andstandardized resiliency, comprising: forming a quantity of resilientfilamentary metallic material into a tangled mass of definite densityand external shape, impregnating said tangled mass with a copiousquantity of a metal having adhesive afiinity for contiguous filamentportions resilient bat made as herein described it was found that when25' mined adherent quantity thereof distributed throughout thefilamentary mass, and finally stabilizing the individual filaments ofthe mass by solidification of the thus-distributed retained adhesivemetal as a myriad of individual filament ties.

WILLIAM J. JOYCE, JR.

